1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image input apparatus such as a video camera, a silver-halide camera or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
In regard to three-dimensional (3D) images, virtual realty (VR) images, computer graphics (CG) images, etc., various techniques have been developed for obtaining three-dimensional information on an external world and an object. According to these techniques, the three-dimensional information is obtained by processing an image taken in by a digital camera or a video camera.
However, since the photo-taking pattern of the camera is unknown in acquiring the three-dimensional information on an external world or an object, the three-dimensional information has been obtained by setting up simultaneous equations for the points of the external world corresponding to pixels on the surface of a CCD only on the basis of information obtained from data of a plurality of images and by solving the simultaneous equations. This method includes some ambiguity, which necessitates use of a large amount of data and an excessively long computing time for accurately obtaining information on the object. The conventional method, therefore, has been hardly practicable as it is difficult to operate a system in real time.
The invention is directed to the solution of the above-stated problems of the prior art. It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide an image input apparatus arranged to easily and accurately obtain information on the position of a shooting object.
It is another object of the invention to provide an image input apparatus which is arranged to be capable of easily and accurately picking up three-dimensional images.
To attain the above objects, in accordance with an aspect of the invention, there is provided an image input apparatus, which comprises lens means having a movable lens, photoelectric conversion means for converting an image of an object formed through the lens means into an electrical signal for every pixel thereof, detection means for detecting a position of the movable lens, and computation means for computing position information of the object on the basis of a value detected by the detection means.
The above and further objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.